Motorola

The father of the smartphone has some of Android's best

Motorola is a longtime communications company, the manufacturer of the first cellular telephone — and it may well be responsible for making Android what it is today.

Motorola wasn't the first smartphone maker, but it was the Motorola Droid on Verizon that helped make Android the household name it is today. The original Droid (known as the Milestone in Europe) sold millions and spawned a number of successors. The Droid MAXX on Verizon continues to be popular, though aging.

But Motorola struggled to make money, and in August 2011 it was announced that Google would purchase Motorola Mobility — they company previously spun off Motorola Solutions — for $12.5 billion. Hardware was just one reason for the purchase — patents were very much another. Google insisted that it didn't buy Motorola with the intention of continuing to lose money, and indeed Motorola began to lose less. But in January 2014, Google announced it was effectively unloading Motorola to Chinese company Lenovo for $2.91. (Much of the disparity in price is due to the paring down of the company, as well as Google retaining "the vast majority" of patents.)

Much of 2012 and 2013 was quiet for Motorola, but in August 2013 Motorola rolled out its rebirth — the Moto X. Wonderfully designed, with customizable features such as the front color, back casing (including wood!) and camera housing — and it was to be assembled in Texas. (Sadly, that assembly line shut down.) The Moto X was heralded as an above-average smartphone that bucked the oversized trend, and didn't fall into the trap of packing in unwanted features and redesigned software.

The Moto X paved the way for two lower-cost smartphones — the Moto G and Moto E.

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Lenovo has just reported its FQ3 2014/15 (which would be calendar Q4 2014) earnings, and now that Motorola is integrated into the company we're taking a bit more notice to the results. In the release its made public that Motorola sold 10 million phones last quarter, which is up a staggering 118...

A few of Motorola's devices, including the Moto X 2014, have already received an update to Lollipop, but if you're still waiting for the latest version of Android to hit your particular device, there's reason to be excited. Luciano Carvalho, a software engineer at Motorola, revealed in a post on...

As promised, Motorola has now launched the U.S. version of its Cyber Monday online sales event, where residents can, among other things, buy the off-contract version of the 2014 Moto X for just $359, a $140 discount from its regular price.
Here's the list of deals that Motorola is offering...

All Motorola

Yep, Motorola has given us warning that we can expect some sort of "exciting announcement" next week, and that "everything you'll need fits inside one box." We have absolutely no idea what to expect come Feb. 25.
Yes, it could be a new watch, though there's absolutely no evidence to support that...

Motorola President Rick Osterloh disagrees with Apple designer Jony Ive's criticism of the Moto Maker phone customization program. In a recent profile of Ive, the designer sharply criticized an unnamed competitor that allowed customers to "make it whatever you want," saying that that "I believe...

It looks like you'll get a few more days to save on some Motorola products. The company has extended its sale that nets you up to $100 off of a purchase to 11 A.M. CT on February 17.
As a refresher, Motrola is offering up $100 off of a purchase of $500 or more, or $35 off a purchase of $250 or...

It's easy to get lost in a sea of smartphones. Manufacturers tend to churn out so many versions of so many devices, it can be tough to keep track of what's what, of what's truly worth your time. Motorola's bucked that trend, however, releasing only three categories of phones since 2013. With a...

Update: Motorola is running a similar bundle discount deal on its UK website from now until Feb. 14 as well. The deal will offer discounts on any Moto Maker-based smartphone, from £10 off a £100 purchase up to £75 off from a purchase of £500.
Original story: Motorola is running a sale on select...

Lenovo has just reported its FQ3 2014/15 (which would be calendar Q4 2014) earnings, and now that Motorola is integrated into the company we're taking a bit more notice to the results. In the release its made public that Motorola sold 10 million phones last quarter, which is up a staggering 118...

Motorola will launch a new promotion on Monday, Feb. 2 that will save some people as much as $140 on their purchase of a new smartphone, smartwatch or accessories. The price cut will come in a promotional code that will be available just on Monday, but a smaller amount of savings will be...

Motorola is making its re-entry in China with the launch of the Moto X 2014, Moto X Pro and the Moto G in the country. China will be the first market to receive an LTE-enabled version of Moto G 2014, and the first country in Asia to have access to Motorola's Moto Maker customization utility,...

Motorola's Migrate app has been updated, adding Material Design updates and new transfer features. Migrate allows you to transfer data to your Motorola device from a number of sources, including other Android devices, iCloud, and non-smartphones, and the latest update makes that even easier....

A few of Motorola's devices, including the Moto X 2014, have already received an update to Lollipop, but if you're still waiting for the latest version of Android to hit your particular device, there's reason to be excited. Luciano Carvalho, a software engineer at Motorola, revealed in a post on...

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